Our Story

Welcome to The Grief Shop, your one-stop shop for thoughtful and lasting grief support gifts and products, for life’s toughest times.

I'm Shelley, Founder of The Grief Shop.

Grief has been a part of my story for most of my life. I was 12 years old when my Dad died by suicide. Fast forward many years, I am now a grief support and suicide-loss specialist and Co-Founder and Director of Tony's Place (a charitable trust that supports those affected by suicide). I have developed numerous grief support programmes and resources, and supported thousands of people in their grief, over the years. Why? Because it matters to me that people receive the support they need.

The idea for The Grief Shop grew from two very different experiences:

1) personally experiencing how difficult it can be to know what to give someone, in the aftermath of a loss (beyond flowers, which soon die), and realising I wasn't the only one who has struggled with this

and,

2) through hearing grieving clients who often spoke of being ghosted by people they expected would be there to support them, yet weren’t, presumably because they didn’t know what to say or do, so they did nothing. In contrast, I also heard the most beautiful and heart-warming stories of individuals receiving truly thoughtful and poignant gifts. And it was clear, what a difference those gifts made. 

I established The Grief Shop to make it easier for people to show up for those they care about, when the worst has happened. In those moments when you wish you could change what has happened or take away someone’s pain, but you can’t. The Grief Shop provides an alternative to flowers, helping people who genuinely care and want to offer support, to be able to do so in a way that both feels good and will be well received by the recipient. In my experience, most people struggle to know how to offer grief support. And that makes sense because none of us get taught how to support others, or about grief, when we're growing up or at school. I hope that The Grief Shop will help people feel more confident and able to show up for those they care about, when most needed.

That said, The Grief Shop is more than a gift shop. I also wanted to create a ‘somewhere’ that people can source grief-specific products for themselves, to support their own grief. What I've created here is unlike what you’ll find elsewhere. I've chosen a range of grief support products that you’re unlikely to find in the local shops. 

While I wish there was no need for The Grief Shop, or any of the work I do, the reality is that grief is a natural part of life. I can't stop the pain. Yet I hope my work helps people feel better supported, and less alone, in their grief.

Whether you are purchasing for an emotional griever or a more practical griever, I'm confident our range of products includes something for everyone. If once you've had a good look around, you're still unsure what to purchase, feel free to reach out. I will listen to understand who you are buying for or your specific needs, and recommend options.

I'm here to help. I'd love to hear from you.

Shelley

(If you're interested in finding out more about my work, visit www.shelleybrunskillmatson.com and www.tonysplace.org.nz).